EU's Three Unresolved Ledgers Leave Bloc in a Tight Spot
The European Union concluded a two-day summit in Brussels on October 16 without agreement on its long-term budget, amid fierce disputes over energy policy and new pressure from Ukraine's request for an additional 70 billion euros in aid. The summit yielded limited substantive results, analysts said. Member states remain divided on the 2028-2034 budget framework, with net contributors like Sweden and the Netherlands rejecting the proposed 1.76 trillion euro plan as too costly, while France, Italy, and others defend agricultural subsidies and cohesion funds. Energy policy debates were chaotic, as southern and eastern states sought to delay the 2028 carbon trading system, opposed by Germany, France, and Nordic countries. Ukraine's new funding demand adds strain, as the EU struggles to match its security ambitions with financial capacity. The US recently relaxed sanctions on Russian diesel, exposing transatlantic divisions and weakening EU support for Ukraine, while European leaders admit they cannot replace US technical and security assistance.